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For Your Pleasure
"For your pleasure
In our present state
Part false part true
Like anything
We present ourselvesThe words we use tumble
All over your shoulder
Gravel hard and looseThere all night lying
With your dark horse hiding
Abhorring such extremes" - Bryan FerryCategories
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Category Archives: McLaren Vale
2012 Chapel Hill Chardonnay
The second vintage of the wine that replaced the Chapel Hill Unwooded Chardonnay. I think the use of a little oak is wise. It balances some of the more overtly tropical flavours the region can produce. The label on the … Continue reading
2011 Cradle of Hills Route du Bonheur GMS
An appealing, early drinking expression of Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz. Light and airy. Not big on density but calms like a cooling breeze. It’s 65%, 25% and 12% respectively for those keeping score at home. Vital cherry and blueberry with a … Continue reading
2011 Three Dark Horses Grenache
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for McLaren Vale in 2011 - I was singularly impressed by many of the ‘Scarce Earth’ Shirazes from the vintage at a recent tasting. More on that soon. This has some brackeny, grubby characters but there’s … Continue reading
2011 Maxwell Four Winds Grenache
From 88 year-old vines. Maturation took place in French hogsheads for 15 months. An awkward and somewhat mawkish wine from the troubled 2011 vintage. Tomato-like acidity juts out and too much oak smothers the fruit and supresses the floral charm … Continue reading
2010 Cradle of Hills Shiraz Mourvèdre
Cradle of Hills are a producer to watch in McLaren Vale but I must admit I’m not entirely enamoured with this release from the excellent 2010 vintage. It’s a touch too thick and slightly soupy with the alcohol also quite … Continue reading
Posted in McLaren Vale, Mourvèdre/Mataró et al, Shiraz et al, Syrah et al
Tagged Wine Reviews
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2009 d’Arenberg The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon
It’s easy to overlook this wine when it’s presented young in a blind line-up…especially if you’re tasting fast. Not my preferred approach – but sometimes that’s what you end up doing. While it’s dense and has a sweetness to it, … Continue reading
2010 Brash Higgins CBSV Cabernet Sauvignon
I’m trying to locate the Omensetter Vineyard (from which the grapes for this wine were picked) on Google maps. It appears to lie about halfway between Tatachilla and Willunga. The winery website mentions “the south-western lip of McLaren Vale”. It was … Continue reading
2009 d’Arenberg Ironstone Pressings Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre
I’m of the opinion that Grenache fared better than Shiraz in the Vale during the warm 2009 vintage. It’s a generalisation but I’m content to make it. So it’s really not surprising that I vastly prefer the d’Arenberg Ironstone Pressings … Continue reading
Posted in Grenache et al, McLaren Vale, Mourvèdre/Mataró et al, Shiraz et al, Syrah et al
Tagged Wine Reviews
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2009 d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz
d’Arenberg’s Dead Arm Shiraz has a proud history and is a favourite amongst many a wine enthusiast. I’ve tasted some excellent vintages and witnessed its capacity to age. But I’m not taken with this release. It lacks life, dynamics and … Continue reading
2012 Yangarra Estate Roussanne
Thank goodness we are beginning to see many producers make Australian expressions of white Rhône varieties that are not just ‘dry white wines’. These varieties have character – play to it. Honeycomb, yoghurt, fresh peach and apricot, herbal tea, flint, spiced … Continue reading